Split Screen Sadness
by slushfox
Summary: Sequel to It's Inevitable. Life sucks when you can't remember it...
1. Chapter 1

**More **

- Chapter one - 

Love is always easy. Right? Not exactly. Not matter how hard you try, love is never as easy as in the movies and the fairy-tale endings just don't happen.

Now don't get me wrong, love can be great and wonderful and uncomplicated, simply a wonderful thing, all I'm saying is that it's never easy. Love doesn't fall from the sky in the form of a beautiful girl programmed with every single quality you adore. Sometimes it just takes a little bit more effort than that.

Having said all that , I am now going to contradict myself quite a bit. Mainly because I have the perfect relationship. The perfect girlfriend, beautiful, amazing, funny, kind, and on top of al that, she is also my best friend.  
She didn't fall from the sky though, and we did struggle a bit to get together, but since we did, everything has been absolutely brilliant. We talk everyday and even if we don't, its not the end of the world, cause I still know that she feels the same about me.

It's a good feeling to know that you always have someone who's there for you, very reassuring. Now I know that this makes me sound like my girlfriend is my only friend, which isn't really true, I have loads of friends, but she's just special to me. I don't know if that makes any sense, but I cant describe it in any other way.

Anyway, like I said, we spend a lot of time together but we never seem to get bored of the other ones company. In fact, someone once told me that a true friend is someone who you can sit in the same room with, both reading a book, neither speaking, but still enjoying and treasuring each others company.  
And that's what I have in her, plus a girlfriend whom I love. Things doesn't really get any better than that.

This is going to be a bit of a rant about love, if you haven't noticed already. But I'm in love, so I could care less.

Love, is funny in a way. Such a short word, that means so much etc…I'm blurring this bit out, mainly because I cant be bothered to transform my thoughts into something understandable right now. I'm happy and in love, and I'll just leave it at that...

So, back to reality maybe, I thought as I caught myself drifting away once again. I desperately tried to focus on the book I was reading, but it wasn't really working. All I could think about was Erica. A small smile played on my lips when I thought about what I had planned for her tonight, and I couldn't help but chuckle at all the excitement I was feeling.

I had been planning this night for weeks and I was certain that it would go exactly as planned. Not that I had any reason to believe otherwise, things that I plan for me and Erica always seem to go great. Except for that time when the waiter at the restaurant managed to pour an entire jug of water over me, but strangely enough, Erica only found that highly amusing. I still believe though, that if it had been her with all that freezing cold water, things would have been less funny. But, that's just me.

As I leaned over to my nightstand to find a pen my eyes found the picture standing on it instead. It was one of my favourite pictures of me and Erica, and just by looking at it now I felt like laughing out loud.  
It showed us curled up on a couch, almost entirely covered by a blanket, and since it was taken with night-vision you can even see the shocked smiles on our faces when we both realised that Danny snuck the camera under the blanket to take the picture. What it doesn't show though, is the seconds later when I chase Danny half-way around the house with a ice-cream scoop as my weapon of choice, trying to get him back for sneaking up on us.

I remember it like it was yesterday…

'_Tom! Are you home?' Erica shouted from her spot by the door.  
When I didn't respond she fished out the spare-key and slowly unlocked the door before letting herself in. 'Tom?' she said again 'I know you're here, your stupid car is outside and I known you never go anywhere without it'  
'Damn' I whispered quietly, trying my hardest not to make too much noise. That girl knows me all to well. 'I'm in here'  
'Where's here then?' Erica asked while I heard her jumping up the stairs on at a time. 'I'm not that clever you know'  
'Trust me' I said with a snicker 'I know'  
'Hey!' she said as she stuck her head in the room 'And hey'  
'You said it first, I'm just agreeing' I continued 'And hey to you too' _

As she walked up to my bed, where I was currently residing, she dropped her jacket on the floor and kicked her shoes off, leaving them where they were. I couldn't help but frown just a bit at the mess, which she obviously noticed straight away.  
'Oh come on Tom, that is nothing' she laughed as she jumped on my bed 'Danny is much worse than I am'  
I lifted the covers up and let her slip in before responding 'Yeah, but I cant do anything about him, you on the other hand, I can still control'  
'Keep dreaming Tommyboy, keep dreaming' Erica said with a sigh as she nuzzled into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tiny kiss on the top of her head. I couldn't help but letting out a content sigh.  
'Is Katie coming over tonight to?'  
'Yeah, she said she'd be here around seven' Erica murmured sleepily 'Why?'  
'I think Danny fancies her'  
Erica looked up from my chest and met my eyes, with a curious smile on her face 'Really?!'  
'Yep, haven't you noticed how he lights up when they're around each other, and opens the door for her and stuff'  
'Course I have' she giggled 'I think Katie fancies Danny too'  
'Really? This is awesome'  
'In know, bloody brilliant' 

…

Later that night Erica and Katie burst through the door from the kitchen, arms filled with ice-cream and bowls, giggling and laughing at something Danny and I obviously wasn't in on. Danny just looked at them with a smile of mixed amusement and confusion, and I figured I probably had the same one on my face. I shrugged my shoulders and gave him a knowing look before I stood up and grabbed the bowls from Erica.  
'Which taste did you get?' Danny said excitedly standing up as well. 'Oh, mint and chocolate-chip, my favourite!'  
'Danny' Erica said seriously 'How could you think that I wouldn't bring the chocolate-chip, who do you think I am?'  
'Sorry' he chuckled, not taking his eyes of the ice-cream that Katie was holding up in front of him, following it with his eyes as she moved it up and down 'I should have learned by now'  
'Scoop up people, I cant wait anymore' Katie said as she pushed Danny onto the couch behind him, and then taking a seat next to him 'This ice-cream needs eating, like now'  
Danny nodded 'Mmmm' while rubbing his stomach 'That all you'll hear from me from now on; Mmmm'

As we finished distributing the ice-cream we started the movie and everyone disappeared into their own little sugary-induced state. I leaned back on the couch and Erica climbed over me and took a seat so that she was sitting in-between my legs. I wrapped my arms around her and she instantly laced her fingers together with mine.

After about half the movie I felt her shiver slightly and realised that I was cold too, and quickly wrapped a blanket over the two of us. Erica nuzzled even closer and gave me a small kiss on my cheek as thank you, and for a second I was thankful for the semi-darkness that covered my blushing cheeks.

I still hadn't fully comprehended the fact that she was actually my girlfriend, and that I was allowed to kiss her and hold her whenever I wanted to. I mean, we'd only been officially together for a week, but we had fallen into a very comfortable routine rather quickly. We'd see each other every day if possible and if not, then we'd talk on the phone for hours instead.  
And with Danny delaying his return home with another week, the three of us, and Katie most of the times, had spent pretty much every waken moment together.

As realisation hit me I couldn't keep it in anymore. I looked over at Danny and Katie who were now sitting almost on top of each other and Danny had his arm placed around her shoulders, with a sort of half smile on his lips. Concluding that they we're completely into the movie, and each other, I fished out my phone and quickly typed up a short text.

Seconds later Erica's phone beeped and I watched her reaction as she read it what it said, half expecting her to say something. But she didn't, instead she turned her phone away from my as she typed an answer.  
When my own phone beeped again, I flipped it open and at that moment I had no idea what to expect. As I read her response, well, lets just say it didn't make things any clearer since it only said **"Chicken"**

Just as I opened my mouth to ask her what it meant, my phone beeped again. **"But…I love you too"**  
I gently squeezed her hand as I pulled her even closer and I could feel her giggling as the vibrations from it spread to me as well.  
'What are you two giggling at?' Danny asked suddenly and both me and Erica turned towards him.  
'Ehm' I began, not really sure what to say.  
'Tom just told me that he loved me' Erica said happily.  
Both Danny's and Katie's jaws dropped upon hearing this, which made them look kind of stupid, which only lead to me laughing even more. 'No way!' Katie finally said.  
'Yes way, actually' I nodded.  
'You hadn't told her before?' Danny asked apparently surprised.  
'No, what? We've only been officially together for a week'  
'Yeah, I know that' he continued 'But you guys have been like "in love" since day one, I just assumed that you were already past that'

To this I decided to not say anything. Suddenly words, especially when trying to reply to one of Danny's wisdoms, seemed rather useless. 

…

'Danny! You stupid , what have I told you about sneaking up on us?!' I yelled as I jumped off the couch. Facing each other, on either side of the couch, I grabbed what I could, which happened to be an ice-cream scoop and when he grinned at Katie I seized my moment and threw myself at him.  
'Too slow, Tommyboy!' Danny yelled in triumph, as I landed with a thud on the floor. 'You know I'm to fast for you'  
'Never again Danny, never again!' I responded and ran after him resulting in him letting out a rather girly squeal.

I caught up with him when he, as always, tripped and fell on the rug by the door, and in an effort to keep him still I threw myself at him before wrestling him to the floor. 'Say it'  
'No'  
'Say it!' I repeated as I held the scoop closer to his face 'Say it or this goes in the hair'  
'No!' Danny gasped 'Not the hair!'  
I laughed evilly 'Oh yes'  
He made one last effort to wriggle his way out of my grip before giving in 'Fine. Thomas Fletcher, master of the universe and all others that may be beyond. I will never obey a direct order not to sneak up on you or use the night-vision on my camera to catch you in any incriminating positions'  
I grinned at him before quickly rubbing his hair with the remains of the ice-cream.  
'AHhh! I said it, I said it!'  
'Yes, but you said it wrong. It should be: Thomas Fletcher, honorary master of the universe and all others that may be beyond. I will never obey a direct order not to sneak up on you or use the night-vision on my camera to catch you in any incriminating positions' I paused, taking a breath 'You missed honorary'  
'I always let you pass when you miss a word' he answered with a pout.  
I grinned at him 'That's because you're to stupid to notice'  
'Right' he nodded 'But…I'm not to stupid to do this!' he finished and swiftly pushed me over on my back before half-choking me on the floor. 'Haha, who's laughing now!'

'Those two spend more time in that close proximity with each other than we do with them' we suddenly heard Katie say, and both our heads snapped towards them, where they stood in the doorway.  
'I know' Erica nodded 'I don't know how to feel about that'  
'Me neither'  
'It makes you think though'  
'It does indeed'  
'Danny' I said, although it came out rather muffled, mostly due to the fact that he was still trying to choke me. 'They're emasculating us'  
Releasing his grip he sat up straight 'You know what that means' he said pointing at them both with an evil grin on his face 'You take that one and I'll take this one!'

Danny quickly sprang up from the floor and chased Katie into the kitchen 'Nowhere to run! You can never get away…' he began but was interrupted by Katie whispering something in his ear 'Ok' he giggled 'Ok'. Katie flashed me and Erica a smile before Danny grabbed her by the hand and dragged her upstairs.  
'You are so weak!' I yelled after them before turning to Erica again 'She's got him wrapped around his finger'  
'Yeah' she nodded 'She's learned from the best' she continued with a smile, while wrapping her arms around my neck, planting butterfly-kissed on my jaw.  
'Huh? I totally missed that' I whispered, mostly because at this state I just stood there with a goofy smile on my face as I pulled her even closer.  
'Oh, nothing, nothing at all' 

…

'Oh Katie, that feels so nice' Danny's voice came muffled through the door, the sound causing me to stop dead in my track.  
'Tom!' Erica said as she bumped into my back 'What the hell, why did you stop like that?'  
'Shh' I said leaning closer to the door 'Did you hear that?'  
Erica leant closer too before asking 'Hear wha…' being interrupted by another moan from Danny, followed by a giggle from Katie. 'Oh'  
'What the hell are they doing in there?' I said in a rather panicked voice.  
'It seems quite obvious to me'  
'But that's my bed!' I responded stomping my foot on the floor.  
'Yeah, so…' she said with a smile on her face.  
'That's my bed! Danny is naked in my bed! The bed that you're going to sleep in tonight'  
As realisation hit her Erica's eyes doubled in size and her jaw dropped, before she started jumping around, wrapping her arms around her 'Eww, eww get him out, get him out!'  
'I'm not going in, you go in' I said crossing my arms in front of me.  
'He's your friend, you go in'  
'He's your friend too' I said as she tried to stare me down. 'That wont work here missy'

We stood like that for a few seconds, but as we heard another moan from Danny, we both threw ourselves at the door, screaming 'Stop!' as we burst through it. 'Danny what have I told you about having…' I quickly scanned the room in front of me and found that Danny was indeed shirtless, but nothing more. Katie was simply giving him a massage 'Eh, hi'  
'Hi' Katie said with a small wave, as both her and Danny looked at us with rather startled looks on their faces. 'Why are you two screaming like that? And did you just kick the door open?' Danny asked confused  
'Eh…' both me and Erica said at once.  
'Yeah' Katie agreed 'What did you think we were doing?'  
'Nothing' I said quickly while glancing at Erica who was shaking her head. 'Absolutely nothing'  
'Ok…'  
I grabbed Erica's hand 'We should go, we've got things to, eh, do'  
'Yeah' Erica nodded again 'Gotta go'

I dragged her out of the room and didn't stop until we reached the guest-room. I closed the door and leaned against it, Erica copying my movements. We stood like that, breathing heavily before I let out a quiet snort, soon followed by a chuckle.  
Erica looked at me with a quizzical look but from her glistening eyes I could see that she was close to laughter too.  
'That' I started, fighting to keep the laughter inside 'was…'  
'Yeah' she agreed before looking down at the floor. I placed my hand around her shoulders and I could feel her shaking.  
'I really hope that's you laughing' I said as I felt myself close to exploding with laughter.  
Erica looked up at me with a huge smile 'Duh', and that second I let go and broke into a completely hysterical fit of laughter, soon enabling the function of my legs and forcing me to the floor, where Erica was already sat. 

…

**Erica**

'Katie' I said with a pout 'Where is he?'  
She shrugged her shoulders 'I don't know'  
'I can't believe that he isn't here' I continued wallowing in self-pity. 'It's our one year anniversary and he isn't even here. How could he forget something like this?'  
'Aww, honey' Katie said taking a seat next to me 'He probably has a great reason for being late'  
'I mean' I continued not taking any notice to what she said 'The boy told me that he loved me for the first time in a text…'  
'Which was incredibly romantic though' Katie interrupted.  
I glared at her 'I know, I can't be mad at that, but still, why isn't her here? I know we said half seven'  
'Go over to his place then' Katie replied giving me a light push 'Find him'  
'I don't know'  
'Erica!' She continued sternly 'This is the boy who's kisses, after one year together, still sends shivers down your spine. Isn't that reason enough to go and find him?'  
I flashed her a small smile as I though about Tom 'I guess so'  
'Go, go go go' Katie sang to herself as I left her alone in my room. 'Oh, wake me up before you go-go, don't leave me hanging on here like a yo-yo…'

As I got out on the drive-way I fished out my car-keys and pressed the unlocking-key, and let out a little giggle as the lights flashed. Might seem silly, but on this car, it just looked stupid. I opened the door and noticed a small, white envelope lying on the drivers seat. Curiously I picked it up and examined the outside for any clue to who it was from, or to. Well, I figured it was for me, since it was in my car, but I was pretty sure that it hadn't been there when I parked it this morning, meaning that someone had been in my car.  
In any other situation I'd probably been a bit worried, but I had some sort of vague feeling that I knew who it was from. I opened the envelope and quickly read the words scribbled across it.

'_Ye who have little faith…I can't believe that you thought I'd forget.  
Left, left, right, round the corner and right  
Tom_

That boy only gets weirder by the day, I thought to myself as I turned the ignition and drove out of my house and turned left.

…

I slammed the car-door shut and looked up at the house in front of me. It was a huge stone-house and I honestly had no idea where the hell I was, but I was pretty sure that I was at the right place. At least I hoped that I was.  
I took a few careful steps along the gravel-path before fishing out my phone and quickly sending a text to Tom. _Fine, I have little faith. Can you at least tell me if I'm at the right place?_  
The answer came only seconds later _Around the back silly, there's a trail and everything…geez_  
At this I looked down I noticed a very obvious trail formed of rose-petals, aww, I thought, how romantic. And how lost am I not to notice…

I followed the petals around the back and after a few feet I stepped onto the grass and walked up to a blanket sprawled underneath an apple-tree. 'Tom?'  
'I'll be right there' I heard him say and I looked around to try and pin-point where the sound was coming from, but failed. I shrugged my shoulders and popped down at the blanket, leaning back on my elbows.

It wasn't until now that I realised just how beautiful this place really was. I lay back completely and continued to gaze up at the blue sky through the branches of the tree.  
'What are you doing?'  
'I'm looking at the sky' I said as I looked up at him 'What are you doing?'  
He flashed me a smile 'Preparing your surprise'  
'Oh' I said sitting up 'I like the sound of that'  
He flopped down beside me 'Now how did I know that?'  
'Because I'm predictable' I chuckled 'As are you dear boyfriend'  
'I know' he nodded moving closer 'That's why we make such a good couple'  
'Oh come on, kiss me already' I giggled and pulled him down with me. He stopped, his lips inches from mine and as he spoke the vibrations reached mine instantly 'I love you'  
I smiled 'I love you to' before allowing him to press his lips on mine in a gentle kiss, that, as always, sent millions of shivers down my spine.

'So…' I started about five minutes later 'What's my surprise?'  
Tom gave me a knowing look before answering 'Don't rush me, It's for desert, and you ain't seeing it until then'  
'Ain't? Who died and made you go ghetto on me?' I said with a chuckle.  
'Ha…ha' he smirked 'Are you hungry yet?'  
'Tom…I'm always hungry'  
'Right' he said as he got up and started unpacking various food-items from the basket next to us. I looked over his shoulder and let out a small, exited squeal as I saw the sandwiches, a knowing look at the strawberries and a 'really?' and the can of cream.  
'What?' he said with a laugh 'We can't have strawberries without cream' I smiled at him before sitting back again and allowing myself to be served.

Roughly an hour later we were both lying on our backs, staring up at the now a tad bit greyer skies talking about nothing much. 'Oh, I almost forgot' I said suddenly 'I've got a present for you'  
'Now that I think about it, I have a present for you too'  
'Really, but you've already done all of this for me' I added while giving him a quick kiss on the cheek 'I'm in no need of presents'  
'I know but I couldn't help myself' he smiled and retrieved a small packet from the basket 'Here'  
I took the small box from him and looked at the red bow tied around it. 'It's so pretty' I said as I carefully untied it 'I almost don't want to open it, but…not really…Haha…this is so exiting…Oh, and I love how I keep talking to myself, even though you're sitting right next to me…Brilliant…and Oh Tom'  
'Is that a good "Oh Tom"?'  
'It's the best possible Oh Tom' I said as I fingered the small silver heart that lay inside. I carefully picked it up by its chain and held it up in front of me, admiring the tiny letters covering its front. I read the words quietly to myself, _Never Ending_, as I looked up at Tom again 'Its beautiful and I love it and I love you even more'  
'Here' he said leaning closer 'I'll help you put it on'

… 

Tom 

'Can you believe we've already been together a year?' I asked Erica as I finished packing away the food.  
'I know' she answered with a smile 'It's been the best year ever'  
I put my arm around her shoulders 'Are you happy?'  
'I honestly couldn't be happier' she said and hugged me back. Right at that moment I felt a water-drop on my cheek and as I tilted my head upwards the sky opened up and it started to pour down. I quickly stood up and grabbed Erica's hand. 'Come on' I said laughing 'We have to find some shelter or something'  
'Can't we just go inside?' she yelled back to try and over-shout the rain that was now thundering down.  
I shook my head 'I haven't got a key. I didn't think we'd have to go inside'  
'Lets run for it then' Erica replied and pulled me closer 'I'm already soaked, a few more minutes wont do any harm'

I gave her a gentle kiss before grabbing her hand again and starting along the gravel-path. Forgetting about both of our cars we ran along the street until we reached a bus-stop were we stopped to catch our breaths.  
'This' I took a deep breath 'Is not going exactly the way I planned'  
Erica wrapped her arms around me with a huge smile 'I think its going even better'  
I pulled her as close as possible, stroking the wet hair out of her face with my free hand, gently cupping it instead. I leaned closer, to the point where our foreheads were touching before I whispered 'Happy anniversary baby'  
'Happy anniversary' she whispered back before out lips met in a passionate kiss. After the kiss came to a natural end, Erica laced her fingers together with mine and pulled me out of the shelter, into the pouring rain 'Let's take a walk out in the rain'  
I looked at her, a look mixed with amusement and confusion, but then decided to just go for it and followed her along the pavement, jumping in the odd puddle that we passed.  
'Hey, stop splashing' I yelled as I tried to avoid the wave of water Erica sent my way.  
'Why? It's not like you can get any more wet'  
'Fine' I huffed 'Waterfight?'  
'Bring it on' she said with a smile, before letting out a small squeal as I ran after her along the road.

We ran down street after street, screaming and laughing, not caring that it was getting darker and darker by the second, and, soon the streetlights' small circles were the only light left around us. I caught up with Erica where she was standing underneath a tree and I quickly grabbed her around her waist and hoisted her up on my shoulder. 'I'm freezing'  
'So am I' she giggled, trying to squirm her way out of my grip.  
'Fancy a ride home?' I said and motioned towards the bus just coming up the hill.  
'Absolutely' Erica replied 'To the bus'  
'To the bus' I chuckled and set off towards the bus-stop closest to us.  
'Tom?' Erica said in a serious voice.  
'Yeah'  
'This has been the best day ever'  
I nodded 'I know'  
'I love you' she said and I felt her slip down a bit on my back.  
'What are you doing?' I giggled, as her hands found their way around my waist.  
'You try hugging someone from behind, and up-side down, its not that easy you know'  
I let out a small chuckle before putting her back down and hugging her, the normal way 'I love you to. Always have and always will'  
'Forever-ever?'  
'Forever-ever'

…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Split-screen sadness **_

_**Chapter two**_

_It's a beautiful morning, I think I'll go outside for a while. I just smile, just taking some clean fresh air for me…_

'Ahh' I heard a voice shout from the floor below me 'Turn it off!'

Needless to say, I didn't, and seconds later a pillow hit me hard in the head 'I said: turn it off!'

'But Dan…' I tried, stifling my laughter 'It just music, and I happen to think it's a rather nice way to wake up'

'And I happen to think it's a rather horrible way to wake up, unless its to The Who or something like it'

'_It's your chance to wake up an plan another brand new day…'_I continued singing along to the song still playing in the background.

'Tom, would you please shut up?'

Hm, think Tom, think…'_Ever since I was a young boy, I played the silver ball' _I began slowly.

'_From Soho down to Brighton, I must have played them all' _Danny muttered 'That isn't going to up my mood though. You think that a sentence from a song I happen to like will wake me up but…'

'_Well I ain't seen nothing like him, in any amusement-hall' _I sang louder as I stood up in my bed. _'That deaf, dumb and blind kid…'_

'_Sure plays mean pinball' _we sang together, and I couldn't help but smile as I noticed Danny fighting to not sing along. But soon enough, he was standing too, singing at the top of his voice.

'_He stands like a statue, becomes part of the machine_

_Feeling all the bumpers, always playing clean_

_Plays by intuition, the digit-counters fall_

_That deaf, dumb and blind kid, sure plays mean pinball' _

'Ah, I can't sing this bit, its too high' Danny said with a frown.

'Who cares?' I shouted back 'No one can hear you'

I watched him take a breath before singing the high part '_How do you think he does it'_

'_I don't know'_

'_What makes him so good' _

'You know, we do that song damn good' I said as I threw myself back down on my bed a couple of minutes later.

'I know' Danny said with a smile 'Oh, have you learned the second guitar in it yet?'

I nodded 'Pretty much, why, have you mastered the lead?'

'Yeah, at least I think so' he replied with a smile.

'Want to try it out?'

'You think we can do it?'

'Hell yeah' I said getting up and reaching for my guitars, handing one to Danny 'We cant go anywhere but up'

'Right' Danny nodded as he tuned his guitar 'We can do this'

He immediately started strumming, looking for the chords, before starting off. When he failed the first time he let out a quiet 'fuck' before starting over again. That was a quality I had always admired in him, his determination. If it hadn't been for him, I probably wouldn't have even got past the first guitar-lesson we took together, but somehow, he made me go back, and I haven't regretted it since.

As he successfully completed the intro, I found my queue and joined in, quietly singing the words to myself to help stay on the beat. When we got closer to the chorus again, I took a breath and suddenly realised that Danny was singing too, and amazed I allowed him to sing the bridge by himself, before joining in on the actual chorus.

'Wow, you guys sound great' Erica said from her spot by the door, causing the both of us to snap around in shock. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you'

'No worries' I said with a smile 'We didn't think we had an audience, that's all'

'Alright then' she smiled and took a seat on the floor 'I didn't know that you guys play together'

Danny and I looked at each other before Danny opted to speak 'We just dabble a bit here and there, nothing much'

I nodded, agreeing, before I started to strum my guitar again. Danny soon followed and Erica took the hint and made a swift exit, leaving us alone once again.

…

'So its actually happening? Your dad said yes to you moving in?' I asked Danny a while later.

'Yup' Danny nodded happily.

'I can't believe we pulled it off' I mumbled quietly to myself.

'I know, I'm not complaining though' he smiled widely.

I grinned back 'Me neither, so, anyway, How's home? Anything different from when I left?'

'It sucks' Danny said simply 'Don't let this go to your head or anything, but Leads is kind of boring without you'

'Aww, you miss me' I cooed.

'No I don't'

'I miss you' I said honestly, deciding that I was man enough to admit it.

Danny sighed before answering 'Fine, maybe I miss you a little bit'

'You guys are such girls sometimes' Erica said poking her head in through the door as she passed by. 'Katie and I have nothing on you two'

'Shut it' Danny and I said at the same time.

'Hey!' she moaned, crossing her arms over her chest 'I am so telling Katie you told me to shut up'

'So, what do I care?' I continued, knowing I was teasing her.

'Not you' she answered 'him' she pointed at Danny 'He cares'

'Ha, oh' I grinned at him and laughed at his speechless face.

'Not funny' Danny finally huffed as he left the room.

Erica giggled at her result 'He is so into her'

'Tell me about it' I replied standing up and walking over to her, taking her hand in mine. 'Tell me about it'

Its funny sometimes how me and Erica spend time together. Like lying next to each other and holding hands without saying much, and having that be the best thing ever. I'm lucky that way.

'I've got to go' Erica said breaking the silence.

'What? I thought we were spending the day together' I replied unable to hide my disappointment.

'I know, and I'm sorry' she began sitting up completely 'But I have, eh… stuff to do'

'Oh, I guess we can do this another time then'

She gave me a kiss on my cheek before standing up 'I'm so glad you're not mad'

'Yeah, me too'

I'm not mad, I thought to myself, just disappointed, that's all. But, come to think of it, I don't need her. It's not like I have to be with her to have a good time, I'm not dependent on her, well, I kind of am, but not in an obsessive way. I'm perfectly fine with spending the day alone.

In fact, that might actually be a good idea. A whole day all alone, with nothing but me and some music. Hm, I thought with a smile, maybe this would turn out to be a good thing anyway.

…

It was raining heavily that day. Like really deserving the term 'pissing down', which, by the way, is a very strange saying, but whatever.

Anyway, I had only been outside for about five minutes and my worn-out Converse were already half-soaked. Not that I minded though, I'd always been a big fan of rain, especially in these amounts and I just found it calming.

I turned left onto the main road that I knew would take me to the shopping-centre in around ten minutes. I watched the cars drive by and skillfully avoided getting drenched as they drove through the puddles covering the ground. The sound of the engines and the world around me being muffled out by my music. As 'Falling for you' came on I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face and I just managed to stop myself from singing along out-loud.

I looked up and noticed a familiar face across the road. I stopped walking and turned completely so that I could focus better. The rain was clouding my vision a bit, but I was sure of who I saw. As a truck sped by I lost sight of the person for a fragment of a second, but then my eyes found their target again.

Confused I slowly took a step forward and somewhere in my mind I registered stepping of the pavement, but I didn't act on the impulse to stop. The traffic that around me suddenly felt like a distant blur. I felt my right foot to hit the asphalt below, the other soon to follow.

'Erica?'


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter three**_

_**- - - **_

The flashing lights blinded him, but yet, he couldn't stop trying to pry his eyes open. He tried to move his head to the side, to get away from the lights, only to find that he couldn't move it at all. Neither could his arms or legs. As panic started to race through him, he suddenly felt a hand on his forehead.

Calming down a little he attempted to open his eyes again, but was soon distracted when he felt another pair of hands feeling all along his body.

As a searing pain shot through his entire system he flailed so abruptly one of the hands moved to hold him down. Something warm ran trickled down his face now, following the curves of his face, coming to a stop near his eye. Drop after drop, into his eye. Stinging and burning forcing him to fight to get it off. The hand held him down again, but this time more forcefully. He heard his shirt being ripped open and then a stabbing pain in his arm. Wave after wave of dizziness hit him before he remembered.

'He's trying to speak' he heard someone say before the strangling feeling over his nose was removed.

He struggled with the words, as if he'd never spoken them before 'Erica'

'Erica?' the man said again, and this time he could see him lean closer to his face. 'Who's Erica?'

'I saw'

'I saw…'

'You…Erica'

'"I saw you Erica"? Is that what you're trying to say?' the voice asked.

He tried to nod, but couldn't even focus anymore. Everything was blurring again and he could feel himself slipping into unconsciousness.

'BP's falling' a female voice said 'it's only seventy over palp.

'His pupils are dilated but unresponsive, Thomas, Can you hear me?' the male voice said. 'Thomas!'

'He's tachycardic, someone hand me an IV-kit, fourteen please'. More shuffling and banging noises and then the sharp pain again. 'Damn, I can't get in with a fourteen, can you find me a sixteen instead?'

---

The man pushed the door open without saying anything else and started shouting to the people waiting outside. 'Unidentified male, awake but disoriented when we came to the scene, one visible laceration on his forehead, he's been on oxygen for the past ten minutes, unconscious for three.'

'Lift him onto here' another voice said 'Roll him into exam one'

'Nurse, see if you can find any details on him' the doctor taking charge said calmly as he checked the pupils again. 'He's reacting to light. Give him D-5 normal saline, one litre to start with, get him on a morphine-drip 10 cc/hour and get a CBC and tox screen on his blood'

'He's turning blue' a female voice said 'Is there any medications of any kind in his bag?'

'Yes, there's an asthma-inhaler'

'Its cyanosis, he's reacting to the meds. Give him 5 cc of theophylline, stat'

Another minute went by. The people talking and the hands everywhere was driving him insane. The dizziness was starting to disappear now and he could finally breathe a little bit easier.

'He's breathing on his own again, pulse has gone up too'

He was starting to come to again when a searing pain had him arching against his restraints. A pair of warm hand held him down, and he heard a faint voice near his ear 'It's ok Thomas, you're going to be ok'

And who is Thomas? he wondered as another wave of pain raced through him.

---

_**Danny**_

'Come on! You idiot' I yelled at the TV 'I could do it better than that'

With a angry sigh I threw myself back onto the couch. 'I cant believe it' I said out loud. 'I cant beli…Oh, YES!'

'Left, right, left and he scores!' My hands shot up in the air 'YES!'

In the middle of my victory dance I heard my phone ring. I contemplated ignoring in when something Tom once said came into mind. "It could be something important you know"

'Damn Tom and his wisdoms' I muttered as I pressed the answering key. 'Yeah'

'Is this Mr Daniel Jones'

'Yes, it is' I answered confused and just a little annoyed at the interruption.

'A Mr Thomas Fletcher has you listed as his emergency contact'

That is so typical of Tom, I thought to myself, blocking the woman out, to change his details just because his parents are away for the week.

'Mr Jones? Are you there?'

'Yeah, sorry'

'Thomas was'

'Tom' I interrupt. 'Its Tom'

'Ok, Tom was involved in an accident earlier today, and has been brought to the King's Memorial Hospital'

I gulped trying to free the words that wouldn't come out 'Is he…was there a car accident?'

Why was that my first thought? Just because Tom has a tiny car doesn't mean that he will crash it at any given moment.

There was a brief pause on the other line. 'Yes'

Just as I heard the man say that I looked out the window and saw Tom's blue car, barely visible through the heavy rain.

'Fuck' I said out loud.

'Excuse me'

'I'll be right there' I said quickly before I slammed the phone down and grabbed my keys. It didn't strike me until I was already halfway to my car that I was only wearing my t-shirt and sweat-pants that I slept in last night. As I opened the car door it hit me again, if Tom's car is here, than that means…

Oh crap.

Millions of different thoughts raced through my head as I sped down the road. Pulse 190, pulsating through my veins, thumping at my temples, my hands gripping the steering-wheel so hard my knuckles were turning white.

The car came to a screeching halt outside the hospitals main entrance, and before I knew it I was inside franticly looking around for some kind of information-desk.

'I'm looking for a Thomas Fletcher, he was in a car-accident and they said he was brought here'

'Mr Fletcher is still in the ICU, if you go down this hallway and around the corner it will be right in front of you'

'Thank you' I yelled over my shoulder as I ran down the corridor.

…

He woke up when another wave of pain seared though him. This time he was determined to open his eyes, and when he did so, he was yet again blinded by the sharp lights. He moved his head from side to side, feeling relieved that he could do so, even if it was just a little bit.

He tried to focus on anything, but his vision was still as blurred as before. Another sharp pain, this time in his other arm and soon the dizziness and calmness threatened to overtake him again.

'Stop' he mumbled, barely audible over the constant buzzing in his head.

'Doctor' someone yelled 'He's coming to again'

'Thomas?' a female voice said and he felt someone grab his hand 'Squeeze my hand if you can hear me'

He squeezed as hard as he could, not knowing if the person holding his hand could even feel it. The frustration filled him once again and he felt like crying. Why couldn't he move properly? Who were all these people knowing his name? Why was he in so much pain?

'Where am I?' he mumbled quietly, praying that someone would explain all of this to him.

'You're at the hospital, Mr Fletcher, you got hit by a car a couple of hours ago'

As her words sank in, he felt hands running along his torso. He winched in pain as she came into contact with his ribs.

'You seem to have a few broken ribs, but I cant tell for sure until the X-rays come back' she continued in her calm voice. 'I've given you something for the pain, and I'll be back to check on you in a few hours'

'Who's Mr Fletcher?' he asked not being able to figure it out.

'You' the doctor answered with a confused look on her face. 'It was the name on your drivers licence'

'Oh'

The doctor walked back up to his bed and shone the light in his eyes again. 'Tom?'

'Yeah'

'Do you know what day it is?'

He thought about it and by the look on her face he probably thought too long. 'Monday?'

'What's your middle name?'

'Ehm' he began as he franticly scanned his brain for the answer that he knew he should know. 'I don't know. Why don't I know? I should know my own fucking middle name' he shouted feeling the panic rise again. 'Why aren't you answering my questions? What have you done to me!' he continued as he sat up straight in bed, ripping the IV out of his arm as he did so.

Suddenly the room filled with people and that familiar sharp pain was all he could feel before he sank back onto the bed again.

He came to about an hour later, surprised at how the pain had now almost disappeared, and when he tried he could even open his eyes without rolling over in pain.

Disoriented he looked around the pale white room that he lay in but he didn't recognise it. His eyes travelled to his arm and the needle sticking into it. He followed the tube to a stand next to his bed. He watched drop after drop fall from the bag and travel all the way into his system. It was calming. The repetitiveness of the dripping was soothing and he could feel the strong medicines the doctor had been talking about working their magic.

Absent-mindedly he lifted his hand to his head and trailed his fingers along the bandage. A car, he thought, I was hit by a car.

There was a quiet knock on the door and moments later a man walked through it. 'How are you feeling?' he asked as he came to a stop in front of the bed.

'Drugged up' he answered with a weak smile. The man laughed uncomfortably.

'Ehm, you don't know me or anything, but I was the first paramedic on the scene of the accident, and well, you told me something and, well, I just thought you might like to hear it. But I realise know that this was stupid since you probably remember anyway..'

'No' he interrupted 'Tell me, I cant remember anything from before' he continued not revealing just how long before actually was 'What was it?'

'I saw you Erica' he said with a small, sympathetic smile 'Unfortunately I have no idea if it was this Erica you saw, or if you wanted to tell her something'

'Neither have I, unfortunately…' he answered and sank back onto the pillows. He turned his head to the wall feeling his eyes tear up again.

The man took the hint and quietly left the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He had never felt this alone ever before. Or at least he didn't think so. A single tear trickled down his cheek as he ferociously blinked to keep the others away.

…

'Room 214' I muttered to myself as I scanned the doors I passed '214, 214, 214'

I came to a stop in front of the right door just as a woman closed it behind her. 'Excuse me'

'Yes, can I help you?'

'Is this Tom Fletchers room? I was told he was somewhere around here and I cant find him. And the woman called and said he was in the hospital and I raced here and now I cant find him' I rambled on, not stopping until she put a hand on my shoulder.

'Calm down' she began with a reassuring smile 'First, tell me your name'

I took a deep breath 'Danny Jones'

'Ok Danny, yes, this is Thomas's room'

'How is he? Was he badly injured? Can I see him?' the questions flew out of me as I tried to get pass the doctor and into the room.

'Mr Jones, Thomas was brought here after being hit by a car this morning' she continued in the same calm voice, not letting go of my arm and somehow, the calmness of her words actually made me listen. 'He was awake at the scene of the accident but lost consciousness in the ambulance on the way here'

Upon hearing this my knees buckled underneath me and I was forced to hold on to the wall to remain upright. It wasn't until that second that it hit me just how badly injured Tom could be. Why is it me, I thought to myself, why am I here, and not his parents?

'Are you still with me?'

'Ehm, yeah, sorry, I just, um, he will be ok, wont he?' I mumbled quietly, as if afraid to say it out loud.

'He has a severe concussion and a sprained ankle. I would say that he's got a few broken ribs as well, but I cant be sure until the X-ray's come back'

'But' I stressed again 'He will be ok?'

'We need to monitor him overnight, and then run some additional tests in the morning, but, it looks like Thomas is going to be ok'

Stupid doctor talk, how hard can it be to just say yes. That's all I wanted, a simple yes. 'Can I see him now?'

'There is something more you should know though'

'What? What is so important that it cant wait until I see if he's ok?'

'Thomas…'

'Its Tom' I correct him as I couldn't stand her saying it one more time.

'Sorry, Tom then. He doesn't seem to remember anything'

'What do you mean 'doesn't remember anything'?

'That he doesn't have any memories before the accident took place'

'Nothing?' I said as my jaw dropped. I shook my head and let out a light snort. 'Yeah right, like that ever happens in real life'

The look she gave me in response should have confirmed everything she just said, but I couldn't take it in. 'He appears to have amnesia'

'Amnesia?…I cant believe this'

'I'd say it is probably a result of his head hitting the windshield or when he hit the ground' she said calmly, probably not even aware of the images she was putting in my head 'But the brain is a complicated organ, so we cant really be sure'

'Can I just see my friend now, please'

'Sure, I have to warn you though, his injuries look a lot worse than they are, so don't be shocked when you see him. He has a cut on his forehead and quite a lot of bruising all over, but like I said, it looks worse than it is. And' she added with her hand on the handle 'don't take it personal if he doesn't remember you'

'But he could, remember me I mean?'

'In cases like this anything is possible so I cant say what will happen when you go in there, only time will tell'

I slowly opened the door, not having a clue of what I could expect. I walked into the white room and immediately noticed Tom's pale figure laying in the bed. I stepped closer and it amazed me at how different he looked. His face was swollen and he had a huge bruise covering most of it. Or the parts I could see anyway, half his face was wrapped up in white bandages, no doubt protecting the gash the doctor told me about.

I wasn't sure if he was awake or not, so I tip-toed up to the bed, unsure of what to do next.

'This is really strange' I said to myself as I took a seat on the chair next to the bed.

'Tell me about it' came Tom's faint reply. My eyes shot up from the floor where they had been resting and focused on his eyes instead.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you'

'I was already awake, there's people in and out of here all the time, not much time to sleep' he said with a small smile.

I nodded and smiled back 'So, how are you feeling?'

'Like I just got hit by a car, how about you?'

I let out a loud snort 'Well, at least you still have your sense of humour left'

Tom smiled even bigger but then grimaced in pain 'Bad move' he said when I shot up from my chair in panic 'Don't worry, I'm ok'

'Good' I replied not really knowing what to say next. I knew it was unavoidable, but still, I just couldn't form the question that I so desperately needed the answer too. Instead it was Tom who broke the silence.

'Who are you anyway? You look pretty young to be a doctor'

'Oh, I'm not a doctor. My name is Danny' I answered slowly, feeling sadder by the second. 'Tom?'

'Yeah'

'You remember?' I asked happily.

'Remember what?' Tom asked, and I guess I should have known by then, but it was like my brain refused to let reality hit.

'Who you are, you answered to your name'

'People have been calling me Thomas all day, I just figured it was my name'

'Oh' I responded unable to hide my disappointment.

Suddenly the four walls of the room felt like they were closing in on me, and I noticed my own breathing copying the dripping of the IV next to Tom. How the hell am I supposed to handle this? I thought to myself as I buried my face in my hands, more importantly though, how the hell is he supposed to handle this?

We sat in silence for a while when suddenly the door opened again. I slowly looked up and found Erica standing there. To be honest, she looked like shit, and it was pretty obvious that she had been crying. But then again, that wasn't too much of a surprise considering the situation.

'Erica' I said quietly but she didn't turn towards me, she just kept walking up to Tom. She sat down on the bed and grabbed his hand in his.

'Hi' she said with a weak smile. 'When Danny called me, I, I didn't know what to think' she continued with a sob 'I was so worried about you'

'Erica' I said again, louder this time. And now she actually acknowledged my presence in the room, but she didn't answer me, she just kept her focus on Tom, who looked more confused by the second.

'What's wrong, Tom, its me, Erica' she asked, and I knew what was coming next but I didn't want to hear it, or see it. I hid my face in my hands again, not bearing to look anymore.

'Who are you?' Tom asked quietly, and I could feel his eyes on me, looking for answers.

…

_**Tom**_

I looked at the girl now sitting on my bed, holding my hand in hers, and I didn't know how to react. My eyes shifted to the other guy in the corner but he didn't make any move to get her away from me.

'Who are you?' I asked now focusing on the girl again. I watched her face fall and the small smile that had been there before was now replaced by a look of confusion.

'This is Erica' brown haired guy began stepping closer 'She's your girlfriend'

'Why are you telling him that? Of course he knows who I am' the girl said, now sounding a lot more annoyed.

'He doesn't remember anything' the guy called Danny said quietly.

'What?' she looked from person to person apparently not knowing what to think. At that moment the same doctor as before entered the room, and Danny looked relieved at not having to explain.

'Mr Fletcher seems to have amnesia as a result of the accident' the doctor said to Erica after shaking hands with Danny. 'How are you feeling now?'

Figuring he was asking me, I tried to shrug my shoulders, but winched as waves of pain shot through me again.

'I'll have a nurse give you something for the pain, and I'll come back later to check up on you again'

'Doctor' the girl said 'He will remember again, won the?

'In most cases like this, the memory-loss is only temporary and with any luck, over the next few days, his memory will start to come back to him'

'With luck?'

'Unfortunately that's all we can say, no one can know when, or if, his memory will return'

I watched the doctor leave the room and as the girls focus was on Danny I carefully pulled my hand back to me. I let out a yawn and it hit me how tired I was. Danny noticed and walked closer.

'You should try to get some sleep, I'll be right outside if you need me or anything'

'Ok' I nodded and pulled the covers closer around me.

Danny moved towards the door, but stopped when he reached Erica who was staring at me.

'Erica, we need to leave him alone now' he tried but she still didn't move. He placed a hand on her shoulder and, to my relief, forced her out of the room. I didn't know why, but I appreciated him being there for me, and for some strange reason I knew that he would be just outside, in case I needed something.

As the door closed behind them I closed my eyes, trying to make the dizziness go away. Why was this happening to me? I thought as I felt the tiredness take over, what did I do to deserve this?

Oh, I cant remember. Remember?…

…


	4. Chapter 4

_**I know it's been a while. I hope you remember it. **_

_**Chapter four**_

Thomas Michael Fletcher. I tasted it. Repeated it to myself. Did it fit me? I was a Tom. I wasn't sure this fact helped me though. It probably should have, I had a name, I was someone. I just couldn't remember who that someone was.

I stared out the window as Danny drove us home from the hospital. Four long days it had taken Danny to convince the doctors that I was safe returning home with him, and I couldn't be happier to be out of that place. As if not remembering anything wasn't depressing enough, having to stare at the same four walls day in and out didn't really help.

Since my parents had found themselves stuck in whatever tropical country they were currently staying in Danny had taken it upon himself to take care of me. He seemed like a decent guy, so I didn't really mind, and slowly but surely we were starting to talk more and more. It must have been quite weird for him though, to have to talk to me like he never had done so before, when we apparently knew each other pretty well. He never complained though, not once, I could tell that he sometimes stopped himself from saying something, but not even that happened that often.

'Are you hungry?' Danny asked all of a sudden.

I thought about it for a second 'Yeah, I am actually, how'd you know?'

Danny let out a chuckle before answering 'It's kind of our thing, we always get hungry at the same time'

'Hm, how convenient'

He nodded 'I know, so, chicken or cow?'

'Chicken, definitely chicken'

'Good choice'

We detoured to KFC before returning to the house that apparently was mine. After we got out of the car I couldn't help but stop and look at the huge complex in front of me.

'This place is freaking huge' I said out loud as I counted all the windows I could see. 'I mean, like really huge'

Danny didn't even say anything, he just stood beside me, laughing at my reaction for a few minutes before regaining his composure a bit. 'You're reacting like I did when I first saw this place'

'Well, looking at this thing, it doesn't seem that weird'

'Stop your gawping now' Danny said from his spot by the front-door 'KFC calling'

'I'm coming, I'm coming, don't rush me'

'But it's chicken Tom' he continued as he disappeared into the house 'Chicken!' he yelled again followed by a equally loud chuckle. Well, I thought, at least he can entertain himself, that will take some of the pressure off me.

…

After finishing our dinner in the kitchen Danny took me on the grand tour of my own home. I quietly walked along the hallways, running my hand along the walls, half-expecting a feeling of belonging to hit me at any moment, but, as I had gotten quite used to over the last few days, nothing happened. The walls remained as distant as I felt.

'This is your room' Danny said as he stopped in front of a white door at the end of the hallway 'mine is just on the opposite side'

I rested my hand on the handle of 'my' room when a sudden thought hit me 'Are you like my brother or something?'

Danny looked at me with a look of shock covering his face. 'No, I'm your best friend'

'Then how come you're living here?'

'I'm staying with you and your family while my dad works abroad'

I nodded absent-mindedly 'Did my mother' god it felt weird to use that word about a woman I didn't know 'Say when they were coming home?'

'She didn't know, they had some passport trouble or something, they're getting here as fast as they can though. Maybe even tomorrow if you're lucky.'

'Great, more people I wont remember' I said solemnly. From the look on Danny's face it was evident that he wanted to say something to make it right, or at least better, but he was at loss for words.

I flashed him a small smile, a poor attempt to make him feel better before I opened my door and slipped into my room. When I closed the door behind me I opened my eyes, not really knowing what to expect.

The first thing my eyes landed on were a number of posters covering my walls. Back to the future and Starwars. I'm a Starwars-geek? I wondered and I couldn't help but snicker a bit at the thought. I walked over to the closet dreading the thought of finding some weird costumes to prove just how obsessed I was. Luckily, I didn't, all I found was a lot of shirts and three-quarter pants. At least I know what I like.

I cautiously ran my fingers over the desk and randomly picked up and book here and a paper there. Being in here felt like going through someone else's stuff, and I didn't really know how to make that feeling go away. I took a seat on the bed and rested my head on the mountain of pillows behind me, eyes focused on the many pictures of me with strangers plastered on my walls. How was it possible that I could just forget all of that, and all of them?

In every single picture I was smiling and laughing, and so was everyone else, and once again I felt as if I was a mere onlooker, watching someone else's life play in front of me. And, trust me on this, it wasn't a very nice feeling.

I picked up the photo that was placed on my nightstand and held it up in front of me. It was a night-vision image and I could clearly see myself in it, and soon I recognized the girl from the hospital too, Erica. She looked so happy in the picture, a huge smile covering her face and I couldn't help but smile a bit as I looked at it. My own face was a clear image of shock, and I figured that I probably had no idea that someone was taking pictures until the exact moment the flash went off.

It was weird, looking at pictures of me and my own life, and not being able to remember anything of it. 'You know what' I said to myself 'life really sucks when you can't remember it'

…

About an hour later I heard a quiet knock on my door. 'Yeah?'

As Danny poked his head in through the door I sat up a bit straighter 'Can I come in?'

'Yeah, sure' I said gesturing for him to sit down next to me on the bed.

'So' Danny began 'What's up?'

'Nothing much really. Why?'

'I kind of had this idea, and I wanted to see if you were up for it'

'Sure' I said happily, and I actually meant it 'What did you have in mind?'

'Follow me' Danny said and stood up. 'I have to show you'

Danny walked out of my room and thundered down the stairs, leading us through the living-room and kitchen until he finally came to a stop outside a door that seemed to be leading into the basement. He paused, with his hand on the handle, and turned towards me.

'I don't know if this will be of any help to you, but it's something that means a lot to you'

'Ok' I nodded, completely clueless to what he could be talking about.

We walked down the stairs and when he turned the lights on I realised that we were standing in some kind of music-room. Everywhere I looked there were different kinds of instruments, from guitars to a drum-kit, but the most eye-catching thing was the grand-piano in the centre of the room.

I ran my hand along its sleek polished finish as I continued to look around the room.

'It's pretty cool, isn't it?'

'Yeah, pretty cool' I answered with a smile 'So, what is this anyway?'

'It's your Dad's, or you use it more than him, but originally it was his' Danny explained.

'I'm a musician?'

'Yep, or aspiring or whatever you can call us' he answered with a light laugh 'We dabble a bit here and there'

'What, you and me, together?'

Danny walked up to the nearest wall and lifted down two acoustic guitars, handing me one of them 'Here, see if you remember anything'

I hesitated 'Dan, I mean, I can't even remember my own name, how could I possibly remember something like this?'

'Trust me' he said and as I finally took the guitar he took a seat on a stool pointing towards the opposite one 'Take a seat and just have a feel, playing guitar is all about instinct'

He was right though. The moment my fingers came into contact with the strings it was as if nothing had happened to me. I gently strummed the A-string and listened to it fade before I strummed it again, feeling the vibrations as they travelled from the tips of my fingers through my entire body. It was a weird feeling, but I knew what to do.

I strummed a few more times before I started to pick up a scale, running it back and forth, watching my fingers as they ran up and down the neck like they never had done anything else.

'Oh' Danny said suddenly 'Keep playing that one'

I did as he told me and moments later he joined in, taking the lead on the blues-riff I had been playing without really realising. I let out a little laugh and looked up to see Danny grinning at me. 'See, I told you it was all about instinct'

When Danny went upstairs to get us some drinks I walked around the room looking at all the pictures covering the walls. There were a lot of posters of bands and stuff, but also a few of what I guessed was my dad and his band. Looking closer I could definitely see the resemblance between us and I even noticed that I was currently playing the same guitar as he was in a lot of the pictures. Cool, I thought, of all the things I had found out about myself in the last couple of days, this was definitely one of the best ones.

In the corner of the room I found, what looked like a brand new Les Paul leaning against its stand. I carefully picked it up and weighed it in my arms, feeling a bit surprised at how well it seemed to fit me. I put it back down when I noticed a black note-book lying next to it. I flipped through some of the pages and found my own handwriting covering almost every page. I didn't really know how I knew that it was my handwriting, but somehow I knew.

I walked back over to my guitar and sat down placing the book in front of me. While examining some of the pages closer I realised that most of the words were song-lyrics and some of them even had chords scribbled underneath them.

I picked up my guitar and started strumming along the best I could. It proved quite difficult at first, but when I slowly got into it, it was like I was going back and retracing my own steps. I could actually follow my own thoughts and ideas and the more I tried, the clearer the melody came out.

'That sounds really good' Danny's voice snapped me out of my little daze 'Oh sorry, I didn't mean to scare you'

'That's ok' I said with a smile 'I just didn't hear you'

Danny handed me a drink before sitting back down 'So what was that anyway?'

'I don't really know, I found this book and its filled with lyrics and stuff, and I just though I'd give it a go'

'Cool' he agreed while scanning the page in front of him 'So you wrote this?'

I shrugged my shoulders 'Yeah, I guess so. Didn't you know?'

'Nah, not that you wrote your own songs no'

'I wonder why I didn't tell you about it'

'Yeah' Danny said thoughtfully 'You probably had your reasons'

I watched him as he put the paper down and picking his guitar up instead. Had in known him any better I would have said that it bothered him a bit, the not knowing about my songs, but I couldn't really be sure.

A few hours later we had emerged into the living room, taking a well-deserved break from our guitars.

'Remember this?' Danny asked excitedly as we sat in front of the playstation. 'This is your favourite game'

'Really?' I said with a light chuckle.

It didn't take me more than a minute or two to figure out how the game worked and what I was supposed to do. Maybe this is what I'm good at, I thought to myself as I rounded another corner, this and playing the guitar. I looked over at Danny and couldn't help but laugh at the look of absolute concentration on his face.

'What's so funny?'

'Do you always have to try this hard to beat me?'

'Well' he chuckled 'Usually, you're a lot worse than this'

I nodded solemnly 'Ah…'

'Sorry, I didn't mean to…'

'It's ok' I shrugged it off 'Watch out, I'm gonna beat you again'

I felt Danny's eyes on me for another couple of seconds before he turned back to the screen

'Never! I will not be defeated, not by geekboy over there'

'Geekboy?…We'll just have to see about that' I replied with a grin. And for the first time in a couple of days, I actually felt happy.

…

_**Erica**_

No, no, no, no this can't be happening. This is only a horrible bad-dream that I can't wake up from. Yeah, that must be it, a dream.

Although this is what I kept telling myself I knew it wasn't true. I wanted to believe it so badly, but the look on Tom's face when he saw me, not one single trace of recognition, gave me all the proof I needed. The one person that knew me better than anyone didn't know who I was. In the blink of an eye, a year had disappeared, just like that.

I felt like crying, or screaming or punching something. I just wanted to blame someone for all of this. Blame someone and then have everything go back to normal. As if having your boyfriend get hit by a car wasn't enough, he has to have amnesia aswell. How is that fair?

I walked down the street and then stopped. Walked back again. I can't leave like this. I have to talk to him again, make him understand.

Since I left the hospital four days earlier I had kept my distance, just like Danny had proposed. It hadn't been easy, but he seemed so sure about it being the right thing I couldn't question him. It hurt though, it hurt as hell knowing that I had a boyfriend, he just didn't know it. Or he did, but he couldn't remember me.

I couldn't count the number of times that week I had picked up the phone and dialled that familiar number only to put in down seconds later. How was I supposed to know how to react in a situation like this? There's not like there's a manual for it, the 'how to deal with your boyfriend loosing his memory' manual. Although it would have been quite handy.

I had been pacing up and down the street outside Tom's house for the last hour now. Every time I decided to go in I changed my mind, and every time I decided to go home again, I changed my mind. Getting fed up with the indecisiveness and the frustration I took one deep breath and walked up to the front door. I took a look around the familiar surroundings before mustering up enough courage to actually knock on the door.

I heard a loud thud and seconds later Danny appeared in the doorway, looking his usual messy self.

'Did you fall again?' I asked with a smile as he stepped aside to let me in.

'No' he chuckled 'Just about, but I managed to regain my balance at the last minute'

'Wow, you're improving then'

'I know, I'm quite proud of myself actually' he said as he took my coat 'So, what brings you here this lovely day then?'

'Ehm, Tom…'

'Right, sorry'

'How's he doing?'

Danny walked ahead of me into the living-room as he explained what the doctors had told him before they left the hospital. 'And except from the bruising going down considerably, he's pretty much the same as when you last saw him'

'Meaning that he still doesn't remember anything?' I asked, but I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

'Yeah'

We found Tom sitting in front of the TV, a dazed expression covering his face. I couldn't tell if it was because of the TV or because he was deep in thought, but he did seem miles away.

'Tom' Danny said as we entered the room 'There's someone here to see you'

I did some silly little wave thing before letting out a quiet 'Hi'

'Hi' he responded in the same quiet tone. So, awkward hello over and done with, I thought to myself as I took a seat in the chair furthest away from Tom, just everything else to go.

'I just came to see how you were doing'

'I'm ok, still a bit sore, but it's not too bad' he replied, his voice emptied of any form of emotion. I can't even begin to describe how much it hurt to sit there and pretend like I didn't know him, like everything we had been through together didn't matter. I felt as if a part of my heart was missing when I was away from him, and being this far away from him, well, it made me want to cry. He didn't just hold a little piece of my heart, he held the entire thing and even if he remembered or not, my heart would always belong to him.

'That's good' I nodded slowly 'I brought something for you'

He looked up at me again 'Oh'

I opened my bag and pulled out the photos that I had taken with me before I left my house this morning. 'I thought these might be, I don't know, helpful or something like it'

He took them from me with some hesitation and I pondered sitting down next to him or if it would be better to return to my corner. I was just about to ask him when he threw the photos on the table and stood up.

'I'm sorry but I can't do this right now'

'But…' I began desperately searching for the right thing to say 'I just thought that it would help'

'Yeah, but it didn't ok?! Just leave me alone' he snapped as he walked out of the room, leaving me standing there with nothing but my thoughts and a look of sympathy from Danny's direction.

I motioned to go after Tom but Danny stopped me 'I'll go. This is hard for him' he said. 'Maybe you should just give him some space'

**Danny**

'What? You mean like forget that I have a boyfriend, just like he has forgotten about me?' Erica replied with tears in her eyes.

'Hey' I said putting my arm around her shoulder 'That's not what I meant, and you know it, just give him some time'

'I don't want to give it time' she said with so much sadness in her voice it made my heart ache for her 'I just want him back'

'I know, but it's not going to happen just like that. I know this is a difficult situation, but its not easy for any of us'

'At least he talks to you' she said quietly, and I couldn't help but think that she was right. Maybe he didn't remember me, but he did spend time with me, and he even seemed to enjoy it. I couldn't even imagine how it would be to be in Erica's shoes in all of this.

After following Erica to the door I got back in the living-room only to find Tom sat on the couch again. He didn't seem to have heard me coming into the room, and I didn't want to disturb him as he was looking at Erica's photos again.

I had caught a glimpse of them before and I knew that many of them were of the two of them, but there was just as many of Katie and me aswell. Those pictures held everything that we had been through in the last year in them, and to look at them and see yourself and not remember any of it, well, I really had no idea how that could feel. Apart from the obvious that is.

'You know, somehow life was easier when your biggest problem was being in love with Erica and not having the guts to tell her' I said from my spot in the doorway.

'Really? I did that?' Tom looked up from the photos 'I would have thought I had more guts than that'

'Sorry to disappoint you mate, but, you're kind of a wimp'

'Apparently' he agreed with a smile.

I took a seat next to him and started to flip through his discarded pictures.

'Can I tell you something?' Tom asked all of a sudden.

'Sure, you can tell me anything'

'Looking at Erica these days and in all these pictures, there is nothing inside me recognizing her. Nothing at all' he said with a solemn tone to his voice.

'I don't know what to say to that' I said honestly 'I wish there was something I could do to make all of this easier on you'

'I know, and I appreciate it. Thanks for being here for me during this, I know it's not that easy all the time'

'No worries, that's what friends are for' I said with a grin 'That and food. I'm starving'

Tom faked a look of shock 'Again?!'

'Don't give me that crap, you're just as hungry as I am'

'True' he nodded 'Moo or eh, cluck? whatever noise chickens do?'

'Mooo, definitely mooo'

'Mooove your ass' I sang as we walked into the kitchen. 'Mooove this way…'

Tom shot him me look and was just about to speak when I put my hands up 'Sorry, that was a really bad gag. I don't know what has happened with my sense of humour lately. I feel like less of a human being without it actually'

'Moooving' Tom responded with a chuckle before earning himself a well deserved punch.

'Ouch'

'You deserved it'

He shrugged his shoulders 'I did, yeah, can't really blame you'

'Nope, moo?'

'Moo!' he snorted with laughter 'We really should stop this now'

'But it's fun'

'Yeah… but still…'

Tom stuck his head in the fridge, but not before shooting me a knowing look. Despite of everything, it was almost like having the old Tom back, I found myself thinking, almost.

…


End file.
